Amateur Radio/Scanner & Linux blog

My place in cyberspace for thinking out loud about the Three Rivers Area Montioring Association and its Sunday evening Pittsburgh Area Scanner Net as well as ham radio and the Linux operating system. Feel free to email me with your commenets.

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

New antenna bill introduced

Lets hope this bill finds its way through the maze this time. Considering the good press that ham radio should get from the recent disasters now may be the time to push for this one.

New York Congressman Steve Israel has reintroduced legislation that could make it easier for radio amateurs living in communities with deed covenants, conditions and restrictions (CC&Rs) to erect suitable antennas. Arkansas Congressman Mike Ross, WD5DVR, signed aboard as an original cosponsor of the ''Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Consistency Act'' (HR 3876).

ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, has encouraged League members to write their elected representative and ask that they cosponsor and support the bill, especially given two hurricane emergencies in short order.

''Amateur Radio is certainly a part of this nation's communications infrastructure,'' Haynie said. ''What we're asking for is just a fair shake so we can put up antennas and help our fellow citizens.''While the League has ramped up its efforts to educate members of Congress about Amateur Radio, Haynie said lawmakers respond best to individual members.

The one-sentence measure is identical to the text of the CC&R bill that has been introduced in the last two sessions of Congress. It would put private land-use regulations, such as homeowners' association rules, on the same legal plane as state or local zoningregulations under the FCC's PRB-1 limited federal preemption. PRB-1 now applies only to states and municipalities.

HR 3876 has been assigned to the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Information about the bill and a sample letter to use when contacting your representative are available on the ARRL Web site,

In his public announcement September 19, Israel said that ''often unsung'' Amateur Radio volunteers were instrumental in helping residents in the hardest hit areas in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, including saving stranded flood victims in Louisiana and Mississippi.

''State and local governments, as well as disaster relief agencies,could not possibly afford to replace the services that radio amateurs dependably provide for free,'' said a statement from Israel's office. ''However, the hundreds of thousands of Amateur Radio licensees face burdensome regulations that make it extremely difficult to provide their public services.''